Over a decade after it was listed as a “recommended project” in the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030, the 4M Neighborhood Greenway is finally moving forward.
At their meeting Wednesday morning, city council will authorize the Portland Bureau of Transportation to put the eastern portion of the project out for a construction bid. The $2.2 million project (funded via $550,000 from 2016 “Fixing Our Streets” gas tax increase and $1.6 million in Transportation System Development Charges) is expected to be built in the 2021/2022 fiscal year.
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Once completed the 4M Greenway will stretch for 4.2 miles on SE Market/Mill/Millmain/Main between Southeast 89th and 174th (Gresham border) and will be the longest east-west greenway in east Portland. The route is considered a lynchpin in a network of safe bike routes that will provide an alternative to riding on the dangerous and high-speed arterials of SE Division and SE Stark. It will connect the I-205 path to many parks and schools and will intersect with three north-south greenway routes.
Today’s council action will impact the eastern portion of the 4M project, a 2.2-mile segment on SE Mill and SE Main from 130th to 174th (above left). Plans call for a mix of treatments that include speed bumps/sharrows in some sections and bike lanes in others. PBOT will also add some new sidewalks, wayfinding signage, trees and street lights.
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The western portion of the project between SE 89th and 130th has been bundled into the $11 million East Portland Access to Employment and Education project. Construction on that project began in December and includes the 100s and 150s neighborhood greenways as well as new bike lanes on SE Cherry Blossom Drive.
Progress on this key east Portland greenway is very welcome news. Since being recommended in the Bike Plan 10 years ago, the project was also part of the East Portland in Motion plan adopted by city council in 2012. But progress stalled when PBOT budget decisions defunded the greenway program a year later. In 2014 the nonprofit Street Trust pushed for its completion and in 2015 the PBOT Bicycle Advisory Committee named it as one of their 10 top priorities citywide.
Moving forward on the 4M is just the latest bit of good news for east Portland. Last year we reported on new connections to the Springwater Corridor path, new bike lanes on SE 136th, the big makeover on at SE 80th and Mill, new greenway connections from the Springwater to Gateway Transit Center, and buffered bike lanes coming to 162nd Ave.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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